Blaze Pizza, which bills itself as "the leader in the fast casual build-your-own pizza category" will be opening a new 65-seat restaurant in the Culver Crossroads mini shopping center on the southeast corner of Washington and Sepulveda this August. 

Blaze Pizza uses an assembly line format (similar to that of Chipotle), that lets guests customize one of the menu’s signature pizzas or create one of their own, choosing from a wide selection of fresh, artisanal toppings – all for about $7.  The pizzas are then sent to a blazing hot open-hearth oven, where the thin-crust pies are “fast-fire’d” in less than 120 seconds. Blaze Pizza makes its own dough from scratch using a recipe developed by critically-acclaimed Executive Chef Brad Kent (“The Pizza Whisperer”), which requires a 24-hour fermentation period.

Here's a look at how the assembly-line format works:

The Culver CIty location will be operated by Culver City BP, LLC, a franchise group controlled by Peter Koral, founder of premium denim brand “Seven for All Mankind,” and entrepreneur Daniel Driz, Koral’s business partner for over 35 years. 

A creation of Elise and Rick Wetzel (founder of Wetzel's Pretzels), the concept is backed by investors including Maria Shriver, movie producer John Davis and Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner, and includes the talents of highly acclaimed Executive Chef Bradford Kent, owner of Los Angeles' top rated Olio Pizzeria & Cafe (Zagat's #2 pizza in Los Angeles).